The present invention relates generally to electronic price tags, and, more specifically, to face labels therefor.
A merchandising store, such as a grocery supermarket, displays items for sale on shelves, with a price label being provided for identifying the product by description, measure, and price. In order to automate product pricing, electronic price labels have been developed and are in current use at various locations.
In one form, the electronic price label (EPL) comprises a thin rectangular tag having face and back sides, and suitable low-power electronics therein. The EPL tag has a visual electronic display, such as a conventional liquid crystal display (RED), which may operate continuously for an extended period of time on battery power. The display typically includes multiple digits for displaying the desired retail price and unit price for example.
Each tag is programmed during manufacture for providing a unique serial number, with each tag also including a back label for identifying the programmed serial number, typically in barcode form.
During use, each tag is associated with a given product and includes a face label identifying the corresponding product and pricing information. A typical face label is pre-printed to identify the product, the universal product code (UPC) or SKU barcode, and the name of the store.
A typical face label is a pressure sensitive label initially affixed to a release liner by an adhesive. The label is peeled from the liner and bonded atop the EPL tag using the same adhesive provided therewith.
As each label is applied to a respective tag, the corresponding tag serial number must be correlated with the product for allowing programming of the price thereof. U.S. Pat. No. 5,619,416 discloses a system and method for automatically labeling the EPL tags. In this patent, the face label includes a patch or strip which is initially bonded atop the tag display when the label is applied to the tag. The strip is printed during the application process with variable data such as a record number (RN) in barcode form corresponding with the specific product associated with the EPL tag.
Accordingly, as each tag is finally installed on a store shelf for a specific product, the strip is peeled away from the label and underlying tag display, with the RN barcode being read for correlating the installed tag with the corresponding product. The removed strip then exposes the tag display which is programmed for the retail and unit price of the corresponding product for being seen by store customers.
Although the label strip is eventually removed from the label after being attached to the EPL tag, it must be sufficiently secured to the label for undergoing the various steps during manufacture, printing, and application of the label without being prematurely liberated therefrom. Since the back side of the label and strip is covered by adhesive, premature liberation of a strip not only causes a defective label but may also inadvertently attach to processing equipment possibly causing jamming thereof.
Furthermore, removal of the strip from the tag display may cause tearing of the strip itself or leave behind portions thereof including adhesive which must be suitably removed in a subsequent operation increasing the time and expense of label application.
In some EPL tags, an integral push button is provided on the face of the tag near the visual display which may be used by a clerk or customer for accessing additional data from the tag for visual display when the button is pushed. The face label is adhesively bonded atop the push button in one configuration, and the adhesive atop the push button may cause interference with the operation of the push button over time.
Accordingly, it is desired to provide an improved face label for an EPL tag which overcomes one or more of these problems in the manufacture and application thereof.